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Breitling for Bentley's new super-sporty titanium model is now available. Limited to only 1000 pieces and created to celebrate the ice speed record set two weeks ago by Finland's four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen in a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible.
Driving the all-wheel drive, biofuel-powered 6-litre, 12-cylinder Continental Supersports convertible on the frozen Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, Kankkunen achieved a top speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) eclipsing his own ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in 2007 in the Continental GT.
Both the new Supersports 'Ice Speed Record' convertible and Juha's record-breaking Supersports was on display on the Bentley stand at the Geneva Show. The new Supersports model will be limited to just 100 cars worldwide.
The dramatically styled new convertible will be built at Bentley's Crewe factory. The Supersports 'Ice Speed Record' car is distinguished by its vibrant and muscular styling, cues that reinforce the uncompromising performance credentials of this extreme Bentley convertible.
Bentley's designers have selected three 'stand-out' exterior paint colours for the new convertible: Beluga, Quartzite and, fittingly, Arctica White, all with red-accented detailing. These colours are complemented by a Dark Grey Metallic soft top with Bentley's refined' three-ply composite construction. The unique appearance of the soft top is created in the outer layer by a 'grey' acrylic fibre with a semi-transparent 'metallic look' in a twill weave construction.
Unique to the 'Ice Speed Record' car, the high-gloss carbon fibre on the dashboard, centre console and roof panel, features a unique red weave. The theme continues with Pillar Box red piping to seats and doors, and Pillar Box Red contrast stitching to seats, door casings, steering wheel and gearshift paddles.
The front seats and floor mats also feature embroidered 'Supersports' legends while the signature Breitling dashboard clock also has a red accent.
The new Breitling for Bentley watch powerfully complements the design of the Supersports convertible. With its light and sturdy titanium chassis, its "dashboard-style" dial enhanced by three ringed counters and its bezel with a typically Bentley-style raised knurled motif, the Supersports Light Body limited series evokes a sophisticated high-powered coupé car.
In tribute to its sporting qualities, Breitling has equipped it with an extremely intelligent and exclusive double-counter system, featuring a central minute hand and a twin-handed totaliser enabling one to read the elapsed hours and minutes at a glance just as one usually reads standard time on a watch.
Technical specifications
Movement: Breitling Calibre 27B, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC, self-winding, high-frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), 38 jewels. 1/4th of a second chronograph, central 60-minute totalizer, combined 60-minute and 12-hour totaliser.
Calendar. Case: titanium, 1,000-piece limited edition. Water-resistant to 100 m. Screw-locked crown. Bidirectional rotating pinion bezel with variable tachometer (circular slide rule). Cambered sapphire crystal, glare-proofed on both sides.
Diameter: 49 mm. Dial: Royal Ebony. Strap: Rubber.


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Fear (from Moral Standpoint)
An unsettlement of soul consequent upon the apprehension of some present or future danger
Fear (FROM MORAL STANDPOINT), an unsettlement of soul consequent upon the apprehension of some present or future danger. It is here viewed from the moral standpoint, that is, in so far as it is a factor to be reckoned with in pronouncing upon the freedom of human acts, as well as offering an adequate excuse for failing to comply with positive law, particularly if the law be of human origin. Lastly, it is here considered in so far as it impugns or leaves intact, in the court of conscience, and without regard to explicit enactment, the validity of certain deliberate engagements or contracts. The division of fear most commonly in vogue among theologians is that by which they distinguish serious fear (metus gravis), and trifling fear (metus levis). The first is such as grows out of the discernment of some formidable impending peril: if this be really, and without qualification, of large proportions, then the fear is said to be absolutely great; otherwise it is only relatively so, as for instance, when account is taken of the greater susceptibility of certain classes of persons, such as old men, women, and children. Trifling fear is that which arises from being confronted with harm of inconsiderable dimensions, or, at any rate, of whose happening there is only a slender likelihood.
It is customary also to note a fear in which the element of reverence is uppermost (metes reverentialis), which has its source in the desire not to offend one's parents and superiors. In itself this is reputed to be but trifling, although from circumstances it may easily rise to the dignity of a serious dread. A criterion rather uniformly employed by moralists, to determine what really, and apart from subjective conditions is, a serious fear, is that contained in this assertion. It is the feeling which is calculated to influence a solidly balanced man (cadere in virum constantem). Another important classification is that of fear which comes from some source within the person, for example, that which is created by the knowledge that one has contracted a fatal disease; and fear which comes from without, or is produced, namely, by some cause extrinsic to the terror-stricken subject. In the last named instance the cause may be either natural, such as probable volcanic eruptions, or recognizable in the attitude of some free agent. Finally it may be observed that one may have been submitted to the spell of fear either justly or unjustly, according as the one who provokes this passion remains within his rights, or exceeds them, in so doing. Actions done under stress of fear, unless of course it be so intense as to have dethroned reason, are accounted the legitimate progeny of the human will, or are, as the theologians say, simply voluntary, and therefore imputable. The reason is obvious. Such acts lack neither adequate advertence nor sufficient consent, even though the latter be elicited only to avoid a greater evil or one conceived to be greater. Inasmuch, however, as they are accompanied by a more or less vehement repugnance, they are said to be in a limited and partial sense involuntary.
The practical inference from this teaching is that an evil act having otherwise the bad eminence of grievous sin remains such, even though done out of serious fear. This is true when the transgression in question is against the natural law. In the case of obligations emerging from positive precepts, whether Divine or human, a serious and well-founded dread may often operate as an excuse, so that the failure to comply with the law under such circumstances is not regarded as sinful. The lawgiver is not presumed to have it in mind to impose an heroic act. This, however, does not hold good when the catering to such a fear would involve considerable damage to the common weal. Thus, for instance, a parish priest, in a parish visited by a pestilence, is bound by the law of residence to stay at his post, no matter what his apprehensions may be. It ought to be added here that attrition, or sorrow for sin even though it be the fruit of dread inspired by the thought of eternal punishment, is not in any sense involuntary. At least it must not be so, if it is to avail in the Sacrament of Penance for the justification of the sinner. The end aimed at by this imperfect sort of sorrow is precisely a change of will, and the giving up of sinful attachment is an unreservedly good and reasonable thing. Hence there is no room for that concomitant regret, or dislike, with which other things are done through fear.
It is, of course, needless to observe that in what has been said hitherto we have been referring always to what is done as a result of fear, not to what takes place merely in, or with, fear. A vow taken out of fear produced by natural causes, such as a threatened ship-wreck, is valid; but one extorted as the effect of fear unjustly applied by another is invalid; and this last is probably true even when the fear is trifling, if it be the sufficient motive for making the vow. The reason is that it is difficult to conceive such a promise being acceptable to Almighty God. So far as natural law is concerned, fear does not invalidate contracts. Nevertheless, when one of the parties has suffered duress at the hands of the other, the contract is voidable within the choosing of the one so injured. As to marriage, unless the fear prompting its solemnization is so extreme as to take away the use of reason, the common teaching is that such consent, having regard for the moment only to the natural law, would be binding. Its standing in ecclesiastical law is discussed in another article. It is worthy of note that mere insensibility to fear, having its root whether in stolidity, or pride, or want of a proper rating of even temporal things, is not a valuable character asset. On the contrary, it represents a vicious temper of soul, and upon occasion its product may be notably sinful.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey! A Fire Ant Stung Me!
What's a Fire Ant?
There are many different types of fire ants, and they are found throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States. The most common and aggressive kind is the red imported fire ant, which is reddish-brown and about 1/8-inch long (about half the size of a pencil eraser).
Red imported fire ants live in colonies that first nest in the ground, and then create a mound of dirt over the nest. These mounds can grow up to 18 inches high and over 2 feet wide!
Red imported fire ants' nests can be found on lawns, in parks, on playgrounds, in fields, and in pastures. Some red imported fire ants create nests in walls of buildings.
What a Sting Looks and Feels Like
A person who gets stung by a fire ant will feel a sharp pain and burning. Someone who steps on a fire ant mound will get a lot of stings at once because the ants have been disturbed where they all live together. Each sting will turn into an itchy white blister over the next day.
What You Should Do
If you ever think that you have been stung by a fire ant, tell an adultimmediately. That's because the venom (poison) in the sting can cause the area around it to swell up quite a bit, and a doctor may want to have a look to make sure you are not having an allergic reaction.
The symptoms of an allergic reaction include hives (red patches on the skin that sting and itch), nausea, dizziness, a tight feeling in the throat, or trouble breathing. Someone who has these symptoms needs to get medical attention right away.
But usually, you can follow these steps after a fire ant sting:
- Wash the area with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress (like ice wrapped in a clean towel) to the area.
- Check with the doctor if you have redness, swelling, or itching.
What a Doctor Will Do
The doctor may suggest that your mom or dad give you a medicine called an antihistamine to control swelling and itching. If you have a more serious allergic reaction to a fire ant sting, the doctor may give you a shot that fights the reaction. People who know that they are allergic to fire ant stings also sometimes carry emergency medicine that they can give to themselves to prevent a severe reaction from happening.
How to Avoid Getting Stung
The best way to avoid getting stung by fire ants is to keep your shoes on when playing in areas that could have fire ant mounds. If you come across one, don't ever poke at it or try to play with it.
- Learning About Allergies
- Hey! A Bedbug Bit Me!
- Hey! A Tarantula Bit Me!
- Hey! A Mosquito Bit Me!
- Hey! A Flea Bit Me!
- Hey! A Chigger Bit Me!
- Hey! A Brown Recluse Spider Bit Me!
- Hey! A Black Widow Spider Bit Me!
- Hey! A Gnat Bit Me!
- Hey! A Scorpion Stung Me!
- Hey! A Louse Bit Me!
- Hey! A Bee Stung Me!
- Hey! A Tick Bit Me!
- Rashes


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"At first, we were disbelieving. We repeated the experiment many times to make sure we had a true result and not an 'Ooops'!"
— Chris Deeney, Sandia National Lab, on achieving a temperature of 2 billion kelvins in Sandia's Z machine, Associated Press, March 9, 2006
"Several things about it are not really understood–the durability, for one thing, is really not known how to predict."
— Edward Garboczi, NIST, on concrete, Baltimore Sun, March 24, 2006
"It's been very hard to come to a consensus. But it looks like it could be years or decades or millennia before any serious degradation takes place."
— Raymond Jeanloz, UC Berkeley, on the useful lifespan of plutonium for weapons, San Francisco Chronicle, March 21, 2006
"It never ceases to amaze me that it is possible to tell what is going on in the first moment of the universe."
— Charles Bennett, Johns Hopkins University, on the latest results from WMAP, USA Today, March 16, 2006
"What works? Science works. Geocentrism doesn't. End of story. I've learned over time that it's hard to convince people who believe otherwise, independent of evidence."
— Lawrence Krauss, Case Western Reserve University, on geocentrism, the Sun Herald (South Mississippi), March 28, 2006
"Redefining science? Who are you? Where do you come from? The arrogance is just unbelievable."
— Hume Feldman, University of Kansas, on the Kansas State Board of Education's changes to the definition of science in thepublic school science standards, Lawrence Journal-World, March 17, 2006
"It's amazing we are so uncertain about the most abundant substance on Earth. I have a feeling that, with water, there will be more surprises."
— Anders Nilsson, Stanford University, on the structure of water, The Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2006
"There are no bacteria known to be resistant to silver or silver oxide."
— Dan Storey, Nexxion, on new silver oxide coating for medical devices to prevent infections, Baltimore Sun, March 17, 2006
"It shows that planet formation is really ubiquitous in the universe. It's a very robust process and can happen in all sorts of unexpected environments."
— Deepto Chakrabarty, MIT, on finding a dusty disk around a dead star, Associated Press, April 5, 2006
"This was the most successful of the 42."
— Jay Pasachoff, Williams College, on the many eclipses during which he has collected data, The New York Times, March 30, 2006
"It's still up in the air how readily H5N1 can become human-to-human, but almost certainly there will be another pandemic at some point."
— Timothy Germann, Los Alamos National Laboratory, on how bird flu would spread, National Geographic News, April 3, 2006
"Many students have a fear of science, but if they come at it from a different angle, they sometimes find out they're interested in the subject and take more classes."
— Michael Dennin, UC Irvine, on using comic book heroes to teach physics, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 2006
"The drop rides along on the vapor like a boat on a river. The vapor is generated between the droplet and the ratchet's surface in a narrow gap, about the width of a human hair."
— Heiner Linke, University of Oregon, on a way of making water droplets run uphill, FOX news.com, March 30, 2006
"Most people don't report their sightings. They're afraid of ridicule, but in reality the world is interested. It's ready."
— Stanton Friedman, on flying saucers, KOAA TV news, March 23, 2006
APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.


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DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche have fired coach Joe Sacco a day after the team missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
General manager Greg Sherman says in a news release Sunday the "organization believes a change of leadership behind the bench is needed going forward."
Colorado never got on track in the lockout-shortened season and finished last in the Western Conference.
Sacco was hired in 2009 after coaching in the minors. He preached an up-tempo style and it served the youthful Avalanche well in his first season as the team earned a postseason spot. But the team couldn't duplicate that success.
Sacco will lead the U.S. squad at the world championships later this week. Sacco will even take several Avalanche players with him, including Paul Stastny and Erik Johnson.


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I mean, I've made some {in my opinion} pretty great fringe necklaces {if I do say so myself!} …but these are BY FAR the most rock and roll I've seen yet! I just bought the blue one which is ridiculously fabulous and realized after that they do custom dipped colors! Seriously dying over here.
Etsy shop Three Horses …check em!


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The staff at Washington's Public Disclosure Commission has recommended changes to how lobbyists report their meals out with lawmakers.
The move follows our investigation last spring with the Associated Press into lobbyist-paid entertainment.
Nearly 20 years ago, there was a legislator who wanted to make sure his constituents knew that when he went out with a lobbyist he ate chowder, not a fancy steak. That led to a requirement that lobbyists accurately report the per-person amount they spend on lawmakers. But the form lobbyists use to report entertainment spending was never updated.
Our stories on lobbyist-paid meals revealed that many don't include a per-person amount and those who do often just divide the total bill by the number of people at the table.
Lori Anderson from the Public Disclosure Commission says the updated form will now clearly instruct lobbyists to distinguish the chowder from the steak. "We hope with the new instructions and adding an example to the form that we're going to take away any confusion and get good data."
The PDC Board will consider the proposed change to the form at its meeting this week.
Some lobbyists have complained it's impractical to track what every lawmaker orders at a meal.


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Media Release: New nursing guideline aims to improve care transitions for patients
TORONTO, March 31, 2014 /CNW/ - Patients who require care in Ontario's health system are less likely to fall through the cracks if recommendations developed by registered nurses (RN) are adopted by health organizations such as hospitals, rehab facilities, long-term care homes, and home care agencies.
The recommendations are contained in the Care Transitions best practice guideline released Monday by the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO).
"The whole point of this guideline is to ensure that people continue to receive safe and effective care when they move from one part of the health system to another," says Brenda Dusek, the RN that supported the panel of experts that developed the guideline's recommendations.
Dusek says the potential for risk increases when patients move between health-care providers (eg. during shift changes), between units of the same organization and from one health organization to another (from a hospital to a nursing home).
The guideline outlines evidence-based recommendations for nurses and other members of the health team to ensure effective care transitions. They include an increased role for nurses on interprofessional teams, and more effective communication among team members, patients, their families and caregivers.
RNAO's guideline has recommendations that examine how nurses should change their practice to ensure a patient's needs are met before, during and after care transitions, as well as recommendations health organizations should implement to ensure quality care and patient safety.
"We know gaps in care can happen and these gaps can affect everything from the medications someone is prescribed to their physical and psychological needs," says Doris Grinspun, RNAO's chief executive officer, adding nurses can play a pivotal role by focusing on those transitions or points in a person's care. "We're confident that organizations that adopt the recommendations contained in this guideline will see increased patient satisfaction and higher quality care."
RNAO's Care Transitions BPG has already been endorsed by Accreditation Canada, the agency responsible for monitoring quality and safety among health-care organizations. The guideline is available online.
RNAO's Best Practice Guidelines Program is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and was launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across a wide range of health-care settings. The 50 guidelines developed to date are a substantive contribution towards building excellence in Ontario's health system. They are available to nurses and other health-care professionals across Canada and abroad.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.
For more information about RNAO, visit our website at http://www.RNAO.ca.
SOURCE: Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
For further information: To arrange an interview with a nurse about this guideline or for more information, please contact: Marion Zych, Director of Communications, RNAO, Cell: 647-406-5605 / Phone: 416-408-5605, Toll free: 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, [email protected]


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Castle Greyscale
"I have the Power of Greyscale!"
Castle Greyscale is a huge, imposing castle located on the border of Etonia and Hyperborea.
Greyscale has always held significance as a strategic objective in the power struggles of the Etonian power elite. Every war to have been fought on Etonian soil was waged with the single objective of gaining or keeping possession of Greyscale and its mysterious towers.
Greyscale is also a popular sporting venue, playing host to Glasgow Rangers and the Fucking Yankees.
Castle Greyscale is older than the recorded history of Etonia, the fabled world that has spawned hundreds of privately educated champions of both good and evil; and thus no record exists of who built it and why, or even if it was built at all. Indeed, it may have stood upon its haunted foundations for all eternity, even before Etonia itself was formed from the swirling chaos of the universe.
Strategic Importance[edit]
Castle Greyscale lies on top of the greatest occult power-node in the universe. Whoever is in possession of castle potentially has an unimaginable quantity of supernatural power at his or her fingertips, if only he or she can unlock the castle's aeons-old secrets. Some of the castle's occupants have successfully unlocked a portion of the castle's occult energy and ancient wisdom, and been able to transform themselves into mighty beings with phenomenal strength, psychic abilities and magical powers.
The castle's position between the worlds of Etonia and Hyperborea makes it a key strategic objective for anyone wishing to govern both worlds simultaneously, or to defend one from the other.
Castle Grayscale has proved to be totally resilient to universe-altering events. Doctor Doom waited out both the Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis within the castle's walls.
Known occupants of the castle have included Sauron, Lord Voldemort, Skeletor, Batroc the Leaper, Conan the Barbarian, King Adam, Anita Franklin, The Reagan Administration, Doctor Doom, The Masters of the Internet, and assorted old Etonians (e.g. John Keats, Horace Walpole, William Pitt, Lord Greystoke, Captain Hook, Sir Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Humphrey Lyttelton, William Waldegrave, David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Oscar Wilde, Oliver Letwin, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Walter Smith).
Notable Power Struggles[edit]
Lord Voldemort vs Sauron[edit]
Sauron, Lord of Mordor, had been ruler of Etonia since the Third Age, and did not take kindly to the attempts of his lieutenant and former advisor Lord Voldemort to usurp his throne. Sauron punished Lord Voldemort for his impudence, and destroyed Voldemort's mortal body, so that he existed as little more than a phantom, which Sauron kept in a jar by his bed. By chance, a servant disturbed the jar, which broke, and the spirit of Voldemort escaped to challenge Sauron's reign. Taking possession of a series of host bodies, Lord Voldemort raised an army against Sauron and captured Castle Greyscale, expelling Sauron from Etonia altogether.
King Adam vs. Black Adam[edit]
Prince Adam of Etonia was crowned King in the Great Hall of Castle Greyscale itself. However, the day before the coronation, Prince Adam's extradimensional doppelganger, Black Adam, stole the crown and threw it into a swamp. The coronation went ahead as planned after a benevolent water spirit brought the crown to the surface and placed it safely on dry land. From that day on, King Adam and his evil twin were sworn enemies, and fought one another for control of the castle for more than a decade.
King Adam vs Skeletor[edit]
The warrior-sorceror Skeletor had been in possession of Castle Greyscale on and off for short periods of time when Adam was merely a prince. In those days Skeletor's main enemies were Voldemort, the Old Etonians, and invaders from Hyperborea. However, Skeletor had been ousted from the castle some 10 years before King Adam's coronation, and the arrival of Black Adam through an inter-dimensional portal encouraged Skeletor to plot against the castle's new custodian. Skeletor became the greatest thorn in King Adam's side during his reign, and would ally himself with other rivals for the Etonian crown, including Black Adam, Batroc the Leaper, and the Masters of the Internet. Skeletor and his allies would depose the King and seize the castle about once a week on average, for up to 20 minutes at a time, over the course of the ensuing three or four years; but each time the normal order would be restored, and King Adam's page would deliver a short homily to the people of Etonia, such as "don't play with matches" or "look both ways before crossing the road".
Etonian Heroes vs The Masters of the Universe[edit]
No one would have believed, in the last years of the 1980s, that Castle Greyscale was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than any on Etonia. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded the castle and its environs with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against the heroes that fought each other there. Ronald Reagan, Rupert Murdoch, George Soros, and the Saudi Royal Family, collectively known as The Masters of the Universe, seized control of Castle Greyscale by covert means, using Etonian fifth columnists trained by the CIA to undermine the Etonian champions' grip on the castle from within. The Reagan administration promptly installed Dr. Doom as a puppet dictator. However, Doom had an agenda of his own, and promptly broke off all ties with his backers and closed the portal to Latveria he'd come through. In the 1990s, the new Masters of the Universe, consisting of Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, George W. Bush, Silvio Berlusconi and Vladimir Putin, returned to Etonia to fight against King Adam, Skeletor, Batroc, Dr. Doom and the Masters of the Internet for control of Castle Greyscale, and the struggle continues even now, with no faction retaining its grip on the castle for more than a year at a time.
There certainly have been a few of those between the heroes of Etonia, let me tell you! Etonia and Hyperborea jointly petitioned to enter the 1986 War of the Worlds tournament, but their bid was rejected on the grounds that their proposed abolition of the rule banning sorcery was unacceptable to the other worlds in the competition.
- The War of Hogwarts
- The Internet Wars
- The Masters of the Internet's War against the Mole People of Normal, Indiana
- The Wars of the Ring
- The Etonia/Mordor War
- The Hyperborea/Mordor War
- The Hyperborea/Mordor/Etonia War


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A Feast for Crows-Chapter 23
Alayne I | ||||||
A Feast for Crows chapter | ||||||
POV | Sansa Stark | |||||
Place | the Eyrie | |||||
Page | 328 UK HC (Other versions) | |||||
Chapter chronology (All) | ||||||
Sansa I ↑ | ||||||
| ||||||
↓ Alayne II |
Sansa is now completely in the role of Alayne Stone, and she has considerable influence in the Eyrie. On the balcony of her rooms in the Maiden's Tower, she surveys the armies of the Lords Declarant camped outside the Gates of the Moon. Lord Gilwood Hunter arrived first, and immediately blockaded supplies from reaching the Eyrie. Though they are not yet under siege, the situation looks dire from her standpoint. Lord Robert, even more irritable than normal because there are no eggs or bacon, tells Alayne that he still hears Marillion singing every night. Alayne assures him that the bard is dead, although she has not seen the body, but she herself no longer hears singing. When Littlefinger arrives, he informs them that the Lords Declarant are on their way up to the Eyrie for a parley. He tells Alayne that there will be eight of them, but he is only concerned about Lyn Corbray. We learn that Lyn fought against Jon Arryn at Gulltown at the onset of Robert's Rebellion, but later fought alongside him at the Trident, where he slew Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard and broke the Dornish line. While his elder brother supports Petyr's position as Lord Protector of the Vale, Ser Lyn has taken up with the Lords Declarant. Bearing the Valyrian sword Lady Forlorn, Ser Lyn is a dangerous and unpredictable man, quick to demand a duel.
The Lords Declarant seek to defend Lord Robert and the Vale, but do not acknowledge the Lord Protector, naming him a false counselor who has been misruling the Vale. After Robert has another fit, Littlefinger suggests that Maester Colemon try giving him sweetsleep, although the maester seems reticent to do so. Alayne tells her "father" that Yohn Royce will recognize her, having met her at Winterfell when Waymar Royce took the black, but Petyr explains that "men see what they expect to see." She also asks him why he doesn't leave the Vale to take up his position as Lord of Harrenhal. Littlefinger is convinced the place is cursed, especially after what happened to Tywin Lannister, Gregor Clegane, and Vargo Hoat. Lady Shella Whent recently died without any heirs, claiming yet another family that once ruled at Black Harren's nightmare castle. When Alayne recommends that he give Harrenhal to Lord Walder Frey, Petyr smiles and tells her he might, but he would really like to give it to Cersei, although he might have to "remove her from the game" sooner than planned, unless she removes herself first.
Alayne leads the Lords Declarant up to Petyr's solar, where he confounds them by saying that he would like to sign their declaration to weed out the false counselors. But Yohn Royce tells him they did not come to obtain his signature; they are here to remove Littlefinger and take Lord Robert to foster at Runestone. Petyr informs them that he plans to foster the sons of other lords here so that Robert will have boys his own age around. He also asks Lady Anya Waynwood to send Harrold Hardyng to the Eyrie as his ward, but the Lords scoff at this request. Littlefinger refuses their demand that he leave the Vale and turn over Robert, and after he calls their bluffs of violence, Lyn Corbray draws Lady Forlorn, but this enrages the other Lords Declarant, and Bronze Yohn tells the knight to up his steel, reminding him that they are guests. Corbray stalks off, but this has worked to Littlefinger's advantage, as he now turns hostile toward the Lords. Demanding that they lift their encampment and give him one year to set the Vale to rights or else he will willingly step down as Lord Protector, all the Lords except Yohn Royce agree, and Petyr emerges victorious in the parley.
Later that night, after the Lords have departed, Alayne asks Petyr what he plans for the next year. Littlefinger continues his tutelage of Alayne in playing the game of thrones. He states that one or two of the older Lords may die over the course of the year, and Lord Gilwood Hunter may well be killed by his younger brother Harlan, who arranged old Lord Eon's death.[1] Petyr admits that he will never be able to sway Bronze Yohn, but when Alayne inquires about Ser Lyn,[2] he tells her that he can be bought "with gold and boys and promises."
References and Notes
- ↑ Petyr's certainty is a strong indicator that he has spies in the Vale's other Houses, and may well have influenced Harlan previously. We learned in A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80 that rumor has it that it was Gilwood who arranged his father Eon's death.
- ↑ Her specific wording reveals that she deduced that Lyn Corbray is in Petyr's service, something that the Lords Declarant are not aware of.
- A Read of Ice and Fire: A Feast for Crows, Part 16. Analyses and summary of the chapter by Leigh Butler.
- The synopsis was copied from AoL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].


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Pagan Studies
Come explore the evolution of magickal spirituality. Here modern practitioners with a reverence to the past can seek the future of magick through philosophical understanding, application and personal development.
The End of the World As We Know It....?
Here is the transcript of the fourth and final 2012 FREE MP3 Meditation.
To listen to this lesson and meditation, or any of the previous ones, go to:
Winter Solstice
Welcome to the fourth and final 2012 Meditation Vision working, an empowered ritual done in vision to attune to the shifting energies associated with the new consciousness associated with the the end of the Mayan Calendar upon the Winter Solstice of 2012. Each of the visions have been based upon of the solar festivals and the direction they are associated with, though attuning them with the elements and astrological signs based upon this new alignment, with Aquarius in the east, Taurus in the south, Leo in the west and Scorpio in the north. The alignment can be challenging for some, but the challenge can help us align and transform.
Each of the recorded meditations have been preceded by a lesson associated with the 2012 phenomenon. The first focused on the concept of the Great Year in general, sacred calendars and specifically the Procession of the Equinoxes. The second looked specifically at the Age of Aquarius. The third was based on the Hindu concept of the Yugas. This fourth and final lesson is on the shifting Pole Star that occurs during the Procession of the Equinoxes and the Galactic alignment occurring in 2012. For those who have not listen to these previous lessons, or read about them on my Pagansquare blog, By Hand, Head and Heart, it might be helpful to do so before going on to this lesson.
While I planned to have this meditation done much sooner, sometimes we don't know what we are waiting for, and now, in retrospect, I know I was waiting to experience a ritual at the Between the Worlds conference put on by the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel in Wilmington, Delaware. I had no idea that this was the last in a series of five gatherings at astrological points with the intention to harmonize with this shift of the ages when I was asked to present, I found myself at the right place, right time and with the right people to do this work. I found so much wonderful corroboration on what I was doing in the Temple of Witchcraft, and great new information and teachings to inspire further development. Part of the ritual was to consciously choose to step into the Age of Aquarius, to leave behind the Age of Pisces. Regardless of correct date, if there is such a thing, make the conscious choice to make this time the end if the world as we know it. Just as modern solstice rituals can occur both before and after to harmonize, let's use this time to establish the intention of a new age and live that way.
The final teaching deals with the axis of the Earth and the alignment with the Galactic center. As the Procession of the Equinoxes is caused by a wobble in the Earth's axis, that wobble creates a change in the Pole Star. The angular radius of the axis of change is about 23.5 degrees. We tend to think of Polaris as "THE" north star, but that hasn't always been so. The north star changes with the wobble, and the Earth is more often "between" north stars than pointing directly with one. The wobble is somewhat erratic and chaotic, as a wobble, so there is not a clear and equitable pattern of north stars, but mythos and history shows that particular stars have been venerated as the North Star, and many occultist believe it plays a role in the consciousness of the planet, much like the Great Months of the Procession of the Equinoxes. The combination of North Stars and Great Months can create particular manifestations of consciousness. The North Star is seen as the top of the axis mundi, the World Tree or cosmic axis. The North Star is seen as the eternal sun, the sun beyond the sun.
The north pole reaches its optimum point with Polaris in 2095 AD, but in two thousand years, there will be no specific Pole Star, just as there wasn't a Pole Star two thousand years ago.
The stars potentially associated with the North Star include:
Star Bayer Name Date
Vega Alpha Lyrae 12000 BC
Rijl al Jathiya Iota Herculis 10500 BC
Rukbalgethi Shemal Tau Herculis 8000 BC
Edasich Iota Draconis 5000 BC
Thuban Alpha Draconis 2700 BC
Kochab Beta Ursae Minoris 1100 BC
Polaris Alpha Ursae Minoris 2100 AD
Alrai Gamma Cephei 4100 AD
Alfirk Beta Cephei 5700 AD
Alderamin Alpha Cephei 7500 AD
Deneb Alpha Cygni 10,000 AD
Rukh Delta Cygni 11000 AD
Vega Alpha Lyrae 14000 AD
While there are more than twelve stars that can be considered near the path of the celestial pole, esoteric lore tends to say there are five major pole stars, but no source agrees on what they are. Technically the celestial pole only crosses two stars exactly, Thuban (Alpha Draconis ) and Tau Herculis. Many bright stars are near its path, including our current North Star polaris, which comes very close to it.
Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris) and Perkhab (Gamma Ursae Minoris) are considered the "Guardians of the Pole" though Kochab can be considered a pole star.
One could look at the brightest five stars, which would be:
Or look at the five closest to the path of the celestial pole:
Tau Herculis
But the most esoteric lore is associated with five "alpha" stars:
Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris)Little Bear
Al Deramin (Alpha Cephei)King Cepheus
Deneb (Alpha Cygni)Swan
Vega (Alpha Lyrae)Lyre
Thuban (Alpha Draconis)Dragon
Draco and Ursa Minor are both within the circle of celestial pole's movements, making some of the dominant themes in the myth of Pole Star "ages" as Dragons and Bears. It is believed that the occultists of modern occult revival in Britain saw the generations between Uther Pendragon and Arthur Pendragon as a story not depicting single generations of humans, but a shift in celestial ages and the associated shift in consciousness, from the Dragon Kings, when the Pole Star was Thuban, to the Bear Kings, then the Pole star became Polaris. As Draco is the Dragon, Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper is also known as the Little Bear.
As occult and Theosophical lore often teaches of a Manu, or World King, guiding a nation or guiding the entire planet, this shift in the pole can indicate a shift in the energies of the world King, and how the Sacred King relates to the the goddess as Queen. The mysteries of many ancient cultures are believed to be linked to orders of Priest-Kings, responsible for keeping balance upon Earth. We see this not only in the myths of King Arthur, but all the way back to ancient Egypt and Sumer.
While the most detailed lore is around the Dragon and Bear as depicted in Arthurian Myth, there is quite a bit of ancient myth and folk lore on the Swan. When looking at these five stars, we can speculate as to their role in understanding the the mysteries of the Pole Star and the traditions of secret kings and queens in spiritual evolution.
Al Deramin means "right arm" referring to the right arm of the King Cepheus. Cepheus is the only human constellations in the five major processional constellations. The last time it was the pole star was roughly in 18,500 BC. While this is in the Stone Age, one could see the energy of the King Star influencing the development of tribal chieftains and leaders.
Deneb is the brightest star of Cygnus. It was last the pole star around 16,000 BC and will be again in 10,000 AD. Cygnus is the swan, and Deneb is often considered the tail of the swan, though some earlier interpretations might see it as a chicken or vulture. There is quite a bit of evidence to show the importance of Cygnus to ancient stone age people, as a gateway of souls in and out of the world. Much of this lore is detailed in the book, The Cygnus Mystery by the somewhat controversial Andrew Collins. Collins associates the lore of Cygnus with the Bird Shamans, and those associated with the fallen angel mythos.
Vega was the pole star in 12,000 BC. Vega is the primary star of the constellation Lyra. Lyra the lyre or harp in Greek myth and culture, but represented by a vulture in Egypt and India.In Wales, it was King Arthur's harp. The harp imagery lends itself well to the understanding of music, poetry and the inspired arts as an important factor in leadership and understanding.
Thuban was the pole star when mainstream archeology dates the building of the pyramids, around 2700 BC. This is also the time period of Stonehenge's building and New Grange in Ireland. At this time occultist would say the Dragon Kings ruled, until finally they gave way to a new leadership, to those of the Bear star.
The North Pole and North Star play a significant role in our understanding of where we are from and where we are going. It is often seen as the "top" of the World Tree, the cosmic axis, and represents a realm of spiritual energy. While the seven planets play a strong role in astrological magick, some think the seven stars of the little dipper are the true powers behind the archetype of seven.
While the pole star will change, within the radius of that change is found Draco and Ursa Minor, the Dragon and Bear, emphasizing their important and power. And with our new astrological alignment, placing Water and Scorpio in the Northern quarter, you might find that the energies of Scorpio are very conducive to the imagery of the Dragon.
It can also be pointed out that if you are strictly following the astrological mandala of western astrology, you can, and perhaps should, flip the axis of Scorpio/Taurus. The astrological mandala strangely puts East, or the ascendent on the left side of the circle, with north or the nadir, at the bottom, west or the descendant on the right, and south or the midheaven at the top. The zodiac moves cyclically around widdershins, or counterclockwise. If you place Aquarius in the east, you will have Taurus in the North, Leo still in the West and Scorpio in the south. Yet that often seems "off" to the modern practitioner, looking for the ring of the Zodiac to move clockwise around a ritual circle. The ritual I went to this past weekend certainly used the zodiac in a clockwise order. The guidance I originally received on how to structure these meditations ended with Scorpio in the North, so that is the pattern I've followed. But a part of Aquarius is to be innovative and open to new ideas, so in the future, feel free to shift this axis, or even work counterclockwise, and see what happens to you.
Galactic Alignment
One of the last factors associated with the end of the 2012 Mayan cycle is the "Galactic Alignment" on the winter solstice. We are said to align with the Sun and Galactic Center, making many people believe either the enlightenment will bring miraculous consciousness expansion with an outpouring of psychic energy form the galactic center, or release some apocalyptic end. What is occurring is probably less dramatic than what most people think.
The Milky Way is our own galaxy, and encircles the Earth. It is "wider" in the region of Sagittarius constellation because its saucer shape of the galaxy creates a "bulge" that appears in Sagittarius. The Galactic Equator is the mid-line running down the Milky Way, though many would argue it is difficult to precisely agree where the Milky Way starts and stops, so drawing an exact equator is impossible. Those who believe they have calculated it would actually say that the precise alignment happened on the winter solstice of 1998, though it takes about 36 years to "precess" out of this zone, which started at 1980 and will end in 2016. This zone of alignment with the Winter solstice only happens every 26000 years, as part of the processional cycle. Within the Galactic Center is a black hole, considered an entry way and exit for spiritual energies. Some believe the alignment with this center, along with stresses from other planetary forces in our solar system, are the reason for increased tectonic activities on Earth.
The alignment is occurring in Sagittarius, and Sagittarius is a sign of higher education, philosophy and most importantly freedom. It is a sign of optimism, inspiration, ideals and travel to foreign lands. In the Temple of Witchcraft, we associated the teacher with Sagittarius, the one who teaches us how to go beyond. We can use this alignment to increase the depth of our experience, and to embrace true freedom on the spiritual level.
So as we prepare for the fourth and final of these meditations, keep in mind the concepts taught both in this lesson and in the previous. As above, so below, cycle and patterns repeat. The Great Year is simple a variation of the cycles and season we are already familiar with, but on a cosmic level. Many culture have looked at the measurement of large cycles of times, and many consider right now to be some sort of threshold of change. Change doesn't mean instant enlightenment any more than it means apocalyptic calamity. When we hit the Winter Solstice any year, it doesn't immediately bring snow, it simply means a tipping point in the cycle has been reached, and depending on where you live, perhaps snow is more likely.
The Great Year shift is caused by the wobble in the axis of the Earth, and while the wobble causes a shift of cosmic "months" it also causes a change in the Pole Star, both of which affect consciously, mythos and religion upon Planet Earth. And the end of this Mayan Cycle of counting time possibly corresponds with both an approximate shift of the age and the galactic alignment period.
Don't get too hung up on the idea of the world ending, either in a physical reality or a spiritual one. The world is constantly ending. Most cultures have had their doomsday predictions and apocalypse scenarios, in religion or in story. The world ends, at least one version of it, every time you close your eyes and go to another world. A new day is a potential to remake your world. Let's just look at this as an opportunity to re-envision the world where we live.
The ritual puts together all of the previous ones, so it can be done as a practice entirely on its own before, during and after the Winter Solstice of 2012.
Winter Solstice
Start by relaxing all the muscles in your body. Breathe deep, in and out. Relax the muscles in your head and neck. Relax the muscles in your shoulders and arms. Relax your chest. Relax you back. Relax your belly and your lower back. Relax your hips. Relax your legs, down through to your feet, down to the tips of your toes. Allow all of your body to relax and be at peace with each breath.
Relax your thoughts. Allow all unwanted thoughts to float away like white wispy clouds.
Relax your heart. Open your heart to love.
Relax into your soul. Feel the spark of divinity aligned within you.
Meditative State
Count Down from 12 to 1 visualized, then 13 to 1, without visuals.
We call upon the Goddess, God and Great Spirit to guide this work and protect us from all harm.
We call this work be for the highest good, harming none.
So mote it be.
Alignment with the Three Selves
Breathe in through the three selves. Breath in through the heart. Say, "I am the Namer."
Breathe in through the feet and base of the spine. Say, "I am the Shaper."
Breathe in through the crown. Say, "I am the Watcher."
Connect all three breaths at the Heart
"I am the three in one
I am the one in three.
As it was, as it is, as it always shall be.
Blessed be."
Alignment with the Three Rays
Invoke the three primal forces into the three selves.
By a Straight Line
By the First Ray
By the Red Ray
I call forth the Red Angelic Fires
I invoke Power and Will
All is possible.
Feel the straight red line descend from the stars through your body and into the depths of the world.
By a Bent Line
By the Second Ray
By the Blue Ray
I call forth the Blue Faery Flame
I invoke Love and Trust
All is one.
Feel the blue spiral of light descend from the heavens around the red ray filling you and grounding into the underworld.
By a Crooked Line
By the Third Ray
By the Yellow Ray
I call forth the Golden Witch Fire
I invoke Wisdom and Cunning
All is Known.
Feel the yellow lighting strike descend from the realm above and run through your spine, descending into the realm below.
So mote it be.
Facing the Direction
Face the North, the direction of the Winter Solstice.
North, the Axis of the Stars .
It is the Winter Solstice, the dawn of light.
It is Yule, the darkness night before the light begins to grow again. The Sun is moving from the tropical sign of Sagittarius, the archer and centaur, to the tropical sign of Capricorn, the Horned Goat god. We align with the sign of Scorpio, the great mystery of life and death, the transformer of matter and spirit, fixed water.
Evocation of the Sign and Element
We evoke you, power of Scorpio, guardian of the gates of spirit and matter. The fixed sign of Scorpio is ruled by the element of Water. Scorpio is the energy of transformation, of mystery, of sex and death. Scorpio's water is mystery expressed in desire, to seek that which is lost, missing or unknown. Scorpio is the scorpion, or rather the drop of poison within, as well as the serpent, shedding its skin and the eagle. Ultimately Scorpio is the phoenix.
By the power of elemental water and the stars of Scorpio, we welcome you.
By the Watcher Star Antares
We call to you.
Hail and welcome.
Opening of the Gateway Pentagram
Draw a five pointed star, envisioned in blue light, starting from the upper left point to the upper right, down to the bottom left, to the top point to the bottom right and back to the upper left point. Draw a clockwise circle around the star, creating a pentacle. Open the Gate of Water.
Bathing in the Element and Season
Through the stargate, feel the blessings of the water. Feel the power of elemental water, cool and wet, entering through the portal, bearing the blessings of emotion, love, healing and dreams. Feel the waves of astral power come through, healing your heart. This blessing urges you to transform, letting go of the old to become the new. You feel the blessings of love to make it safe enough to change, and embody true love, Agape, Perfect Love. Accept this blessing of love and compassion. It will guide you to the true heart's desire.
Vision of the Past/Future Age of the Sign
As the compassion comes over you, you think of the last age of Scorpio. Said to be the peak of the Age of Atlantis, right as the corruption really began and the spirit descent became the reality. Despite the destruction, its end, with the seeds of its destruction in Scorpio, shared its wisdom with the world. Whenever we need to let go, we work with the waters of Scorpio. Envision the ancient world of this sacred land in beauty, for even the start of the descent of a magnificent kingdom still gives you the magnificent. What of this time must we bring into our current age?
Waves of compassion flow over you through the norther winter stargate. Allow yourself to envision yourself in the world, fulfilling your true heart's desire. What must you let go of, leave behind, shed to enter into the New Aeon? Who will you be in this great age?
Communion with the Guardian
Through the gate you'll see and feel the light of the star Antares. Allow that light to flow to you. You might fell it enter your root or heart chakra, opening the way for the highest self to be anchored within you bodily temple.
Through the light of the gateway, a figure can take shape. Who or what is guarding the gate of Scorpio? What guardian of the fire portal will commune with you, teach you, heal you? The classic archangel is Gabriel, the keeper of water and messages, though totem of the water, deities of the Moon and sea and guides of waters and the heart who flow with the blessings of Antares might manifest. Commune with the guardian.
Alignment with the Galactic Center
As we move closer to the Galactic Center, find yourself coming into alignment with this vast storehouse of blessing. You are a medium, a channel for this blessing to be grounded into the world, into the consciousness of humanity and beyond. You can help channel this blessing into the realm of animals, plants, minerals and the etheric vibrations that support all the gardens of the Earth. Prepare your channel for this flow of blessings, for this power, wisdom and love. Feel all that does not serve, all that would block this flow, being dissolved away now in preparation. Be in your truth and inspiration. Follow the true knowledge within and you will be prepared.
Symbol or Key Word
Through this process, the alignment, the guardian, the visions and the healings, you might receive a key to bring into your consciousness, to guide you for this season, and to share with others. What key word or phrase, symbol or image to you divinely receive to prepare for the New Aeon?
Pole Stars
Feel your alignment with the pole star, Polaris, the guiding light of this age. It is the star of the Little Bear, for we still live in the Time of Arthur, the Bear King. The Once and Future King must return within us all, all soverign of our lives. Feel the royal blood of the stars awaken in your veins, and think back to the time when the pole was ruled by Thuban and the Dragon Kings, by Vega and the Poet Kings, By Deneb and the Swan Kings and by Al Deramin and the First Kings. All the wisdom of the cycle is yours now, awakened through the stars in the blood.
Four Gates
Think of Eastern Gate, Aquarius, Marker of this Age.
Think upon any symbol or keys given at the Eastern Gate.
Feel the Eastern Gate of Air, of Aquarius open
Feel the Guardian come through and commune with you.
Think of the Souther Gate, Taurus, Fixed Earth
Think upon any symbol or keys given at the Southern Gate.
Feel the Southern Gate of Earth, of Taurus, open
Feel the Guardian come through and commune with you.
Think of the Western Gate, Leo, Fixed Fire
Think upon any symbol or keys given at the Western Gate
Feel the Western Gate of Fire, of Leo, open
Feel the Guardian come through and commune with you.
All four gates opened with you in the center.
All four gates opened, with the pole star and Galactic center both flowing into you.
All four gates opened, as the Age turns
While you, the true you, the Bornless One, sits in the center beyond,
Your body, your life, your planet all shifts into the Aeon of Aquarius
Thanks and Release
When you feel the process is complete, thank all entities and energies that have worked with you at this time.
Closing the Gateway Pentagram
By the power of elemental Water and the stars of Aquarius, we thank and release you.
By the Watcher Star Antares
We thank you.
Hail and farewell.
Envision the star gate drawing another five pointed star. Start at the upper right point and move across to the upper left point, downward to the lower right point, up to the top of the star, down to the lower left point and upward again to the upper right point where you began. Draw a counterclockwise circle around the star, closing the primary gate to the North.
We thank the stars, guaridans and spirits of the Western Gate of Fire, Leo
Hail and farewell
We thank the stars, guardians and spirits of the Southern Gate of Earth, Taurus
Hail and farwell
And we tahnk the stars, guardians and spirits of the Eastern Gate of Air, Aquarius
Hail and farewell.
Count Up
Count Up from 1 to 13 then 1 to 12, no visuals for either.
We thank the Goddess, God and Great Spirit for this blessings.
Ground yourself as needed. Feel the energies flowing in you enter and store in the blood and bones, but any excess that is unnecessary for your well being, flow down through your feet, your roots, into the earth, for the earth's own alignment with the Galactic Center.
Welcome to the Age of Aquarius
Blessed be.
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I still have white friends. But after the exhausting presidential campaign, I'm not sure what we'll talk about anymore.
Some topics are safe: their kids, our elderly parents and their problems, the skunk and deer colonizing our block. But I tiptoe around other subjects, such as the state of our retirement plans or our fear of falling ill. Throughout the campaign, I saw these issues ignite arguments over "handouts" and "entitlements" and the burdens that hard-working Americans carry.
The 2012 campaign uncovered a nasty truth: Four years after the country elected an African-American president, racial prejudice flows through our national discourse.
Sometimes it was obvious, like Newt Gingrich calling Barack Obama a "food-stamp president." Sometimes, it's more subtle, like Paul Ryan blaming "urban voters" for his ticket's defeat this November. Issue after issue veered into wink-wink, nod-nod messages about the haves and have-nots, with the haves seeing themselves as defenders of core values.
In another time or election, what happened in the voting booth would have stayed there. But I belong to the 93 percent of African-Americans who voted for Barack Obama (along with 70 percent of Asians and Latinos). And the fact that 39 percent of white voters supported Obama means I don't assume my white friends share my joy over the president's re-election.
I never bought the notion of a post-racial America. I didn't believe that 200 years of accumulated racial sentiments would vanish simply because an African-American occupied the Oval Office. But in 2008, I did allow myself to hope that maybe Americans could work together, not against each other. Lord knows we had a crisis uniting us: Everyone was broke.
Four years later, that wish seems naïve. An Associated Press survey found anti-black sentiments have increased since 2008.
Now, when I'm with white friends, I'm afraid of approaching the edge of a chasm. Will commiserating about a crazy doctor's bill spark a rant against socialized health care? Will concern about a string of part-time jobs kindle angry arguments that the administration plans to kill "job creators?"
So I keep it light. Instead of looking them in the face, I give them the side eye. In the midst of the conversation, I look around, sizing them up, wondering if they're standing with me or on some other side.
Call it cynicism if you want. Call me prejudiced, too. I'll unhappily admit to that. I only know that, after 18 exhausting months of coded and not-so-coded behavior and language, I'm jaded and skeptical.
It's not the "Nobama" signs and "Nope" bumper stickers I saw during the campaign. I chuckled at those clever reworkings of the president's name and slogan. And administration opponents had a right to question the explanation of the attack at Benghazi. Maybe if the campaign had centered on policies and practices, I'd have felt more comfortable talking politics.
But that's not what happened. It was no laughing matter when empty chairs were found hanging from nooses in Virginia and Texas — allusions to Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention, addressing a chair as if it were the president. Nor was it funny when a Mitt Romney supporter wore a "Put the White Back in the White House" T-shirt at a rally in Lancaster, Ohio.
I thought I was alone in my disillusionment until my friend, Leslie Ansley, posted on Facebook.
"I don't know how much more of all this race hatred I can possibly stand," she wrote. "I'm losing faith in my fellow man — the white ones, anyway.
"In short," she added, "all that I'm seeing and hearing has made me more racist than I ever thought possible. Because I'm feeling defensive. Angry. Hurt. Incredulous."
Someone objected in the comments that being angry about racism is vastly different from being racist. But I understood Leslie's pain. Racism hardens the hearts of both its practitioners and its victims.
Hiding wasn't an option. Avoiding the news media is difficult, but slipping past social media is almost impossible. My Facebook and Twitter networks hummed with photos, links and stories. The slights and the signs were broadcast constantly, and they took their toll.
I gasped when I saw the photo of an Elyria resident raising double middle fingers as the president's bus passed through Lorain County last July. He wasn't wearing a white robe and hood, but the defiance in his wide-legged stance made me wonder: Would he have raised those fingers if a Bill Clinton or Al Gore had been the candidate?
The website selling "Don't Re-Nig in 2012" bumper stickers stunned me.
And I had plenty to ask Tea Party members who vowed to "take our country back." From whom? From brown-skinned folks like me, born and raised here? From others who insisted on enlarging the word "American" so it wasn't a synonym for white?
Take the country where? To 1962, when I was a kid in Nashville? I watched protestors occupy sidewalks and lunch counters. Now we call them heroes and honor them during Black History Month. When I was a girl, the polite phrase in Tennessee was "outside agitators," as in "those civil-rights agitators riling up our colored people." Never mind that "colored people" were housing and feeding the "agitators" and marching alongside them.
The folks benefiting from the status quo viewed life from their perspective, and we viewed it from ours. They were Americans, not us. Although our labor built the nation, we weren't allowed to wear its name.
I learned what all Negro children learned back then: Don't take whites at face value. It was safer to give them the side eye, to assess them and your circumstances before opening your mouth.
But the "colored water" signs came off the fountains, and the restrooms were differentiated by gender only, not race. I read about whites such as Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and Viola Liuzzo, who were killed while fighting for civil rights.
Although I was only 10 or 11, I picked up another lesson: Negroes and whites could stand together. Negroes and whites could look each other in the face, and even be friends. Not mere "how ya doing" acquaintances, but secret-swapping, telephone-calling, stand-by-you-stand-by-me friends.
But that was then, when "We shall overcome" promised that one day, Americans would walk hand in hand. Nowadays, I'm not so sure — especially when John Sununu accuses Colin Powell of supporting the president because Powell and Obama are both African-Americans.
The post-election analysis shows a country divided. Folks have chosen sides. So I'm limiting myself to small talk with my white friends, at least until I figure where they — and I — are really coming from.


text:
Request an inspection from Engineering Department for your latest construction project.
The City of Greenville's Economic Development Department promotes a variety of activities and programs designed to obtain a healthy balance of strategic economic growth and improved quality of life.
The Planning and Development Division is responsible for administering and updating the Land Management Ordinance and long-range planning efforts including the City's Comprehensive Plan and various master plans.
Access information about the Engineering Department of Greenville which includes traffic engineering, construction, civil engineering and more.


text:
How much time does it take for a visitor to decide whether or not they will return to your church? Experts pose differing numbers on this.
Some say as quickly as 90 seconds. Others say three minutes. Still others say they take as long as 12 minutes to decide. Whoever is right, making a good first impression is imperative if you are going to retain first-time visitors. Doing this well will change as your church grows.
Churches with attendance under 150 can make a friendly first impression by stationing two or three outgoing volunteers at their front doors. In this size church, newcomers are able to look around the crowd and find the "people like me" pretty quickly. "People like me" is key to assimilating newcomers in smaller churches.
Once you get to 200 or more, the number of names and faces is large enough that you'll need an exceptionally committed volunteer to be at the door at least 45 weekends a year. Since the average Sunday school teacher only attends church 39 weeks a year, you probably won't find such a person. Hence, a staff member needs to assume this responsibility. When our church was under 400, my associate pastor met every first-time visitor and introduced them to others. If you ask anyone who came during that era, "Who did you meet first?" their answer was always "Scott Evans."
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Above 400, first impressions must be everyone's responsibility. The average church welcomes three visitors per week for every 100 attendees. So at 400, you'll have 12 or more brand-new guests each weekend. No one person can meet and introduce them all to someone like them. Welcoming becomes a family affair.
At New Song, I ask our Core to "LINE-UP" every weekend:
L = Look for someone you don't know.
I = Introduce yourself.
N = Never sit alone.
E = Engage in conversation after the service.
U = Use the RU New Café (our monthly lunch for newcomers).
P = Practice the 3/10 Rule (talk to three people you don't know during the first 10 minutes after the service).
LINE-UP has made us one of the friendliest churches in the world. And it's scalable, so it ought to work for yours too. Embed the process in your people by teaching it at leadership meetings, new members' classes and at least annually in church.
Dr. Hal Seed is senior pastor of New Song Community Church in Oceanside, Calif. He and his wife, Lori, planted the church in 1992, leaving behind a ministry in Longmont, Colo. Over the past 25 years, New Song has seen more than 10,000 people come to Christ, has planted four daughter churches, has launched one satellite campus and has helped launch four parachurch ministries—Outreach Inc., Dynamic Church Planting International, Church Community Builder, and First the Kingdom.
For the original article, visit pastormentor.com.
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Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you're not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.


text:
Blog Listing
- @Number71
- Beauty In Ruins
- Best Fantasy Books HQ
- Bitten By Books
- Booknest
- Bookworm Blues
- Charlotte's Library
- Civilian Reader
- Critical Mass
- Curated Fantasy Books
- Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
- Everything is Nice
- Falcata Times
- Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews
- Fantasy Cafe
- Fantasy Literature
- Gold Not Glittering
- GoodKindles
- Grimdark Magazine
- Hellnotes
- io9
- Jabberwock
- Jeff VanderMeer
- King of the Nerds
- Layers of Thought
- Lynn's Book Blog
- Neth Space
- Novel Notions
- Omnivoracious
- Only The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
- Pyr-O-Mania
- Realms Of My Mind
- Rob's Blog O' Stuff
- Rockstarlit Bookasylum
- SciFiChick.com
- Smorgasbord Fantasia
- Speculative Book Review
- Stainless Steel Droppings
- Tez Says
- The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.
- The B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
- The Bibliosanctum
- The Book Smugglers
- The Fantasy Hive
- The Fantasy Inn
- The Nocturnal Library
- The OF Blog
- The Qwillery
- The Speculative Scotsman
- The Vinciolo Journal
- The Wertzone
- Thoughts Stained With Ink
- Tip the Wink
- Tor.com
- Val's Random Comments
- Voyager Books
- Walker of Worlds
- Whatever
- Whispers & Wonder
Blog Archive
- The Great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off by Mark ...
- "Divided: Dualed #2" by Elsie Chapman (Reviewed by...
- GUEST POST: A Game of ̶T̶h̶r̶o̶n̶e̶s̶ Death by Rob...
- Mini-interview with Rob J. Hayes (Interviewed by M...
- It Takes A Thief To Catch A Sunrise by Rob J. Haye...
- The Red Knight by Miles Cameron (Reviewed by Achal...
- GUEST POST: Fantastic Economies: A Conversation Be...
- "The Buried Life" by Carrie Patel (Reviewed by Cas...
- "Veronic Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line" by Ro...
- GUEST POST: Finn Fancy vs Discworld: The Humor For...
The Great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off by Mark Lawrence & various bloggers
Nearly a month ago Mark announced this competition, wherein he asked for author to submit their works to be judged by 10 fantasy review blogs. Previously he had sent out a call for bloggers to participate. In this endeavor, reader & blogger extraordinaire Sarah Chorn of Bookworm Blues admirably helped out with logistics and was the first volunteer blogger to sign up for this.
At Fantasy Book Critic, we have prided ourselves on trying to give Indie and self-published books a fair shake amidst the traditional author books. This has lead us to discover talented folks such as Michael J, Sullivan, Anthony Ryan, David Dalglish to just name a few.
Amid such a fantastic role-call, it was all I could do to not volunteer. Mark was very gracious enough to grant me a place among esteemed bloggers such Ria (Bibliotropic), Bob M. (Beauty In Ruins), Tyson Mauermann (Speculative Book Review) and many others. These bloggers are people whose choices I pay attention to as well as consider them my friends. So after getting close to 300 title entries, Mark disseminated these titles among the 10 of us and I have gotten the following titles allotted to me:
1. Corey Bryers – Scrapper
2. Alex Ziebart – Blood and Masks
3. Beth Lyons – The Soul Thief
4. Scott Warren – Sorcerous Crimes Division: Devil Bone
5. Domino Finn – Shade City
6. David Tatum – The Kitsune Stratagem
7. Charlotte Cyprus – Kiss of the Fae
8. Scott McGowan – Bjorn and Bread
9. Greg James – Under A Colder Sun
10. Andy Crawford – The Pen is Mightier
11. Brian Lynch – King Callie
12. Christopher Ruz – Century of Sand
13. Anthony Lowe – City of Blades
14. Eric Knight – Wreckers Gate
15. Melissa Porter – Purple
16. Rachel Bowden – Artisan
17. Annika Howells – How to disappear completely
18. Wilf Jones – The Best of Men
19. Robert Mullin – Bid the gods arise
20. Sean Moran – A Time of Kings
21. Rob Donovan – Ritual of the Stones
22. Randall Fitzgerald – No One's Chosen
23. Nat Russo – Necromancer Awakening
24. A. Murtagh – Soldiers
25. Jenny Watson – Spirit's Mage
26. Ken Lim – The Starfall Knight
27. Victor Salinas – The Sword and its Servant
The idea is for all of us to choose one worthy title among the all titles in our list and then pitch it to the rest of us as to why we feel it as the best. Eventually one winner will be announced among all such worthy titles. I plan to do a major review of the best book I choose and also do as many mini-reviews of the books from the above list. I'll be stating my reasons for books which I'm not able to finish or didn't enjoy.
Since I'm a bit strapped for time, I'll be a bit stricter than I usually am while reviewing titles for FBC. So I hope you all join us bloggers amidst our search for the next fantasy self-pubbed breakout star. Here's what my compatriots have been up to so far:
Bob Milne of Beauty in Ruins on blurbs, covers, and titles.
Lynn Williams of Lynn's Books reviews His Own Good Sword by Amanda McCrina.
Ria of Bibliotropic on titles, covers, and blurbs.
Sarah Chorn of Bookworm Blues divides to conquer!
Elitist Book Reviews outline their slush-strategy.
An update from Lynn's Books.
Here an 11th man has a sift through the slush.
On The Fictional Hangout Milo reviews Fire and Ice by Patty Jansen.
Ria of Bibliotropic reviews Son of a Dark Wizard.
Ria of Bibliotropic starts an update list.
Elitist Book Reviews like The Thief Who Pulled On Trouble's Braids.
5 comments:
- Bob/Sally said...
I've got 2 more review/tour commitments to read through, and then I plan to tackle 5 of mine (completely at random) to see what works for me and what doesn't. Anything I read through to the end I'll review, and the rest I'll at least comment on.
Sorcerous Crimes Division looks like a good place to start! - March 28, 2015 at 2:23 PM
- The Reader said...
Hi Bob,
Thanks and the amount of reviews you do leaves me looking sheepishly at my TBR :)
Sorcerous Crimes Division caught my eye with its blurb and so far, it has been very good. I'll look forward to your thoughts on the books you select.
Mihir - March 28, 2015 at 11:51 PM
Thanks! Now I'm off to check what the other bloggers are saying about the blog-off!
- April 1, 2015 at 6:44 AM
- Robert Mullin said...
Honored to be among such company! Will be watching your progress with great interest.
- April 1, 2015 at 9:23 PM
- Ashana Lian said...
When I saw Mark's Blog-Off, I really wanted to join in but then I thought that would be unreasonable - lately I've been so busy, I haven't been able to update my blog let alone read that many books.
It's excellent you decided to join in - I hope you keep us updated with your progress on this blog. - April 4, 2015 at 2:37 PM


text:
CUnicodeString is a replacement for CString.
If you are one of these poor guys that has to write applications that use for example NetXxx functions and don't want
to create a Unicode project, or use ANSI only functions from a unicode project or what ever, you always had to deal with
MultiByteToWideChar and WideCharToMultibyte. Maybe you even have to play with native functions witch uses counted unicode
strings (UNICODE_STRING) or LSA (LSAUNICODE_STRING). If you were in such situations and hated the fact that the MFC CString
doesn't help you with these conversions, than you would love this little class…
CUnicodeString has all the functions that CString provides, so you can use it allmost everywhere where you use CString normaly.
This class works internally only with Unicode strings. Every string assignment is converted to and stored as Unicode.
And the best of it: It's easy to use… 🙂
CUnicodeString cs; WCHAR wc = L"My Wide String"; cs = wc; CHAR ch = " needs a few ANSI chars to append"; cs += wc; cs += " "; LPSTR pstrMyText = cs; LPWSTR pstrMyUnicodeText = cs; cs.Empty(); cs = "MyUserName"; NetUserGetInfo(cs,....); ...
This class was written for a upcomming C++ library called SecLIB witch covers the whole NT-Security.
This is one of the reasons why it internally works in Unicode.
BTW: Using System API's in Unicode is allways faster in NT, because NT internally works also with Unicode only… 🙂
I hope you like it! 🙂
Alexander Keck
(MCSD in progress….)


text:
About Green River
As one travels east along Interstate 80, the wide open spaces of southwestern Wyoming are suddenly interrupted by a series of multi-colored buttes, carved over time by the Green River. The varied sizes, shapes, and shades of the eroding strata provide a majestic setting for the town.
Today, Green River's population is approximately 13,000. The railroad is still a major presence. Mining, particularly of trona, is the major industry in the area. Even with the Interstate, the railroad, and other trappings of modern society, the City continues to sit at the crossroads of the west—a timeless, peaceful place.
Incorporated in 1868, in what was then Dakota Territory, and named for the swift flowing greenish river that courses through town, the City of Green River has a long and varied history.
Native Americans, indigenous animals (antelopes, buffalo, deer, etc.), mountain men, pioneers, ranchers, railroad people, and miners have all left their footprints and their legacies in Green River. It was from the Green River that John Wesley Powell started his famous explorations of the Green River, the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon in the late 1800s.
Area Partnerships
- Castle Rock Hospital District - See what health care services are available in Green River
- Flaming Gorge Days - View a schedule of events for the Southwest Wyoming celebration
- Green River Chamber of Commerce - Check out relocation and recreation information for the City of Green River
- Green River Star - News about Green River
- Sweetwater County Library - Our local library and their services


text:
A team of scientists from Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) has found that the loss of a protein called p62 in the cells and tissue surrounding a tumor can enhance the growth and progression of tumors. The study suggests that therapies targeting the tumor microenvirnoment may be as important as targeting the tumor itself.
The findings, published July 3 in Cancer Cell, contribute to the increasing acknowledgement that the cells and tissue surrounding a tumor -- the stroma -- are an integral part of cancer initiation, growth, and expansion.
"Our study reveals a precise mechanism that stromal cells use to encourage the tumorigenesis of epithelial cancer cells," said Jorge Moscat, Ph.D., director of the Cell Death and Survival Networks Program at Sanford-Burnham. "We have shown that in the stroma, p62 acts as an anti-inflammatory tumor suppressor, controlling the inflammatory environment and the signals that promote cancer. In the absence of p62, tumors grow larger and are more inclined to metastasize."
p62 location influences tumor growth
Previously, Moscat and colleagues demonstrated that p62 activation in prostate and lung cancer epithelial cells had tumor-promoting effects. Cancers of the epithelial cells are called carcinomas, and about 85 percent of all cancers are carcinomas.
In the current study, his team studied the effects of p62 in the tissue adjacent to the tumor, and found it had the reverse effects there.
"These are highly significant observations since p62 activates another protein called mTOR which is a biological target of many ongoing clinical trials in cancer right now," said Maria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D., professor at Sanford-Burnham and co-author of the study.
"This potentially means that therapeutic strategies aimed at depleting an organism of p62 and inhibiting mTOR in the cells that surround the tumor may actually benefit the tumor, because tumor-suppressive activities would be inactivated. It also may explain why therapies aimed at blocking mTOR are showing limited clinical efficacy," added Diaz-Meco.
Unveiling the mechanism of p62
The initial hint that p62 in the stroma influences tumor growth came by analyzing more than 200 human prostate tumors with Gleason scores ranging from 2 to 10. Gleason scores are a numerical assignment given to prostate tumors based on pathology, with the highest scores (10 maximum) indicating that the cancer is very likely to spread. The research team found that p62 levels in the stroma were significantly lower in samples with the highest Gleason scores, suggesting a protective role for p62.
To understand how p62 works, the research team introduced prostate cancer cells and monitored tumor formation in normal mice, and mice genetically engineered to lack p62. The mice without p62, called p62 knockout (KO) mice, had larger prostate tumors compared to normal mice, supporting the notion that the absence of p62 in an organism promotes cancer growth.
The researchers went on to show that p62 KO mice had increased levels of IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine (a signaling molecule) that enhances tumor cell proliferation and inhibits cell death. And, the genetic events that linked p62 depletion to increased levels of IL-6 in mice were mirrored in humans.
"Our observations support a more comprehensive approach to treating cancer, one that is based on our understanding of the communications between a tumor and its environment," added Moscat. "Conceivably, treatments that inhibit tumor-promoting inflammatory signals combined with tumor-specific targets may improve cancer outcomes."
Story Source:
Materials provided by Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Cite This Page:


text:
Should I Share Renters Insurance with Roommates?
September 25, 2020 Understanding Insurance
The materials available in the Knowledge Center are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact legal counsel to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of this website or any of the links contained within the website do not create representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.


text:
130 MPH Motorcycle Chase Ends as Boring as Humanly Possible
If you live in Southern California you can be sure of two things — there will be earthquakes, and there will be morons who try and outrun the police on our congested freeways. Enter moron in the video below who decided that 8:30 in the morning would be the perfect time to test out his motorcycle skills. By running from the po-po.
This past Tuesday, a motorcyclist led police on a high speed chase that started in Orange County and ended in East Los Angeles on Interstate 5 at around 9:20 in the morning. It's probably the dumbest time to try and outrun the cops. You can't outrun an old woman in a walker much less the police during LA freeway rush hour. But Evil Knievel managed to reach speeds of 100mph on the 605 freeway before switching over to I-5, where he got up to 130mph on the freeway.
The driver was zooming in and out of traffic so fast that the only way cops could trail him was by helicopter. After an hour of this nonsense, a CHP officer tried blocking the suspect, who then appeared to just give up. He clearly could have gone around the officer, but it looked as if he decided that he had committed enough crime for a Tuesday morning.
Officer Charmaine Fajardo added, "It was a beautiful stop. Everybody was safe and that's what matters." Yawn. Booooring. Unfortunately, there were no explosions, no sweet jumps or wheelies by the suspect, and no tragic ending where a truck driver suddenly changes lanes, causing the suspect to lay down his bike and get flattened underneath the wheels of a semi like a real life Mr. Bill.
Maybe next time, Los Angeles. Maybe next time.


text:
[Sesame Zucchini Soup]
When the idea of lacing zucchini soup with tahini (the sesame paste used in hummus) came to me out of the blue a few days ago, I thought it very appealing and stashed it in the "to try" file of my mind – which I'd need a personal assistant to sort through, it's such a mess.
Then Tuesday night, I came home ever-so-slightly tipsy from the excellent bottle of white wine my coworkers and I shared to celebrate a birthday (yup, tough working environment), and Maxence was out playing poker with his friends (and I am not making this up). I had everything on hand for my sesame zucchini soup, so I went right ahead and made it, humming along to Air's last album.
I served myself a few ladles of soup in the fresh and beautiful mug I bought in London, and sipped on it, sitting on one of our bar stools, leafing through my cool British cooking magazine, Delicious. I enjoyed this softly green and nicely fragrant soup very much : the hint of sesame gives it the kick that vegetable soups sometimes lack. I can't wait to have the leftovers.
Soupe de Courgette au Sésame
– 1 kg zucchini (about 5 medium)
– one medium potato
– an onion
– a shallot
– a garlic clove (the best being Ludo's pink garlic from Lautrec)
– two cups of chicken stock (or two cups of water and half a bouillon cube)
– two heaping tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste – other nut butters would work beautifully too)
– a tbsp of sesame seeds (mix black and blond for a pretty effect)
– olive oil
– salt, pepper, ground chili
(Serves 4.)
Peel and chop the onion, shallot and garlic. Use your food processor for zippy and impeccable results. In a large saucepan, heat a few splashes of olive oil, then cook the onion, shallot and garlic for five to ten minutes, over medium heat, until they get a little translucent. I am told they shouldn't be allowed to color, and have no idea why, but better safe than sorry.
In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until golden and fragrant. Reserve in a small ramequin.
Wash the zucchini and trim their ends, wash the potato and peel it. Slice them by hand or in the food processor. Add them to the saucepan, along with two cups of stock (or water and half a bouillon cube) and a bit of salt. Cover, bring to a simmer and let cook for twenty minutes or until the veggies are cooked, stirring now and then, just because you can't help but peek. Remove from heat.
Remove a cup of the cooking liquid from the saucepan and reserve in a bowl. Transfer the solids into the food processor (or only part if you enjoy chunky soup like I do), and whizz into a puree. Return the puree into the saucepan and stir. Depending on the zucchini you used, the soup may be liquid enough at this point, or you may want to add some of the liquid you set aside.
Put the saucepan back over low heat, add tahini, pepper and chili, and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. Pour the soup in bowls, sprinkle the surface with toasted sesame seeds, and serve with sesame crackers.
This soup could also be served chilled, but I'll wait until the summer, because right now, just the word "chill" gives me goosebumps.


text: This Fish Sticks! Do you know which profession gets more nicks and scratches than any other -- Sushi Chefs! That's right. Their knives are so sharp, and they work so quickly, that they are constantly wounding themselves. That's why sushi chefs bow instead of shake hands -- it simply hurts to much. So it's only natural that Sushi Chefs have their own special First Aid treatment -- Sushi Adhesive Bandages. If you're a sushi fan, you're gonna cherish them, too. Each 3" x .75"; bandage is decorated with colorful sushi photographs. We really love the metal tin they come in, too. You get 25 strips in each tin, each in its own sterile wrapping. To add to the fun, there's even a FREE TOY inside each package! So the next time you get a scrape or cut, don't pull out a boring Band-Aid -- Reach for a Sushi Adhesive Bandage, instead. They're so much fun, you'll be tempted to use wasabi instead of Bactine!


text:
Do you want to add essential camera targeting to your game character? Do you need to add camera management for any of the commonly-needed vehicular and character viewing modes to your game development efforts? Would you like the ability to smoothly glide between camera views? We did to, and now we are bringing it to you! Our DynamicCamera scripts and camera enhancements for the the for Unity3D game engine are available at the Unity3D Asset Store.
DynamicCamera is a multipurpose camera controller that can serve as the foundation for all your game- and interactivity-development camera movement needs. It is coherently designed, implemented, and documented to be easy to use and extend. What follows is a short introduction, along with links to the Demo, Documentation, Video Tutorials, and User Forums.
DynamicCamera is a versatile camera movement, targeting and tracking programming interface, which can dynamically switch between a number of useful modes. These modes vary from direct following, various perspectives, following based on velocity, and many others. The versatility of the camera's controlling code should fulfill a wide variety of game design needs, and is highly extensible to adapt to your specific projects.
To setup the dynamic camera, simply attach the DynamicCamera.cs script to any camera GameObject. Set the primary target to the GameObject you wish to follow, and then set the mode to a movement control scheme that suits your particular need or current game state. Other scripts are included, which may also be added to a camera controlled by DynamicCamera.cs to augment and enhance DynamicCamera's functionality in several nuanced ways.
1: Interactive Demo( this is just a web player with stand-ins, but the DynamicCamera can be used on any platform or as the basis of any form of gameplay )
1: Interactive Demo
2: API & Documentation
3: Video Tutorials
4: Support & User Forums 5: Purchase DynamicCamera at the Unity3D Asset Store ~ $15 Introductory Price
4: Support & User Forums
5: Purchase DynamicCamera at the Unity3D Asset Store ~ $15 Introductory Price
The World Physics System is a celestial body & point gravity scripting interface for Unity3D, intended as a replacement for the stock downward gravity. The World Physics System can be used to simulate planetary orbits, body-body attraction, or "snowballing" effects. You may use it to create circular worlds "out-of-the-box," but the World Physics System is implemented robustly, providing you complete freedom in expressing your point gravitation creativity, complex and repulsive forces, allowing you to use the system as a subcomponent for other effects, such as spells, powerups, or goal-based Artificial Intelligences for NPC's. Now, with the World Physics System and Unity3D, the sky is truly the limit!
World Physics System is a scripting interface which may be used to create a plurality of spherical gravitational pulls on a multitude of other objects. We've written this as an API, so that you, the game developer, can mimic the vast number of gravitational situations in your 3D projects in which gravity is not always simply straight down (as is the default and only option in standard Unity3D environments). We have written the API for simplicity, to be robust and object-oriented, hopefully easing its reuse and extensibility. What follows is a short introduction, along with links to the Demo, Documentation, Video Tutorials, and User Forums.
This system is made of two components, a World and zero or more WorldObjects within the gravitational influence of that World. The World acts as a center of gravity in the system. Through it you can define whether the gravity is constant or diminishes over distance. The World Physics System gravity works just as regular Unity3D gravity, but instead of always pointing down (-y), it points FROM the WorldObject TO the transform position of the World. The WorldObjects are objects which are acted upon by the World's gravity. As a developer, You need only instantiate a WorldObject with a reference to the World, and the system will handle everything for you. When the mass of the WorldObject is ignored, it will not affect its acceleration due to gravity, as the World is assumed to have a much larger mass than the WorldObject.
To set up the World Physics System, simply attach the "WorldPhysicsSystem.cs" script to arbitrarily any object in the scene, preferably a central manager object, the main camera, the main star in a solar system, etc. and then turn off the built-in Unity3D gravity on the objects you wish to control with World Physics System's point gravity. The "World.cs" script can be added to any Game Object that you then wish to exert gravitational forces, and the "WorldObject.cs" script can be added to any Object you wish to be affected by the gravity of a World. All the scripts may be interchanged and combined in very dynamic ways, without breaking the system. There is nothing preventing developers from having one object that simultaneously manages several World Physics Systems, while also being a World and a World Object in many different systems at once. Truly complex relationships may be created without adverse effects, while simple relationships can be created in seconds.
1: Interactive Demo( this is just a web player with stand-ins, but the World Physics System can be also used on any platform or as the basis of any form of gameplay )
Our early experiment in science-themed gameplay.
A combination Science- and Nature-themed Meditation game, Sprouts! is a 2.5d / 3dimensional platformer that is somewhat similar to "golf marbles pinball with a football-like spore," and has everything you would expect from an expansive exploration and puzzle-solving game. The perfect kid's game, with deepening fascination suitable for all ages (careful, toddlers may drop your iPhone, and adults might find themselves shaking the iPad like a cereal box). The gameplay strives to approach a virtual zen, and symbolically reinforces the fundamentals of biology, ecology and math in the form of puzzles, competition, fractals, exploration, and good old video game reaction time. The introspective puzzles are suitable for any audience.
BY PURCHASING THIS INITIAL (LEVEL 1) RELEASE, IT WILL ENTITLE YOU TO FREE UPGRADES TO ALL OF THE UPCOMING 10 SPROUTS LEVELS (releases: Levels 2-4: Spring 2011, Levels 5-7 Summer, 8-10 this year), and a discount on Sprouts 2!
Nimbus Garden Inc. is a techno art & code house focused on radical mobile software and revolutionary interface design...
...but, we also have a knack at building business infrastructure.
Our Personal Approach to each business and organizational scenario (we're talking software design here, for the architecture that supports your venture, this is not marketing speak), we've found, is best-suited to small businesses and startups looking for a comprehensive overhaul, or thorough analysis, review, and redesign of their entire web-aware and collaborative software options. Our style of collaboration is informal, and we can hopefully invigorate your organization with a collaboration between us, which begins as a conversation about Software, and what it currently isn't, and can do for your Team.
Have one of our software architects address your situation through a personal consultation.
Your starting point is contacting our Cloud Creation Team.
That said, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy , so:
We Also Have Several Games Under Active Development :)
Nimbus Garden Inc. is a techno art & code house focused on radical mobile software and revolutionary interface design.
Our mantra at Nimbus Garden is "grow great games." We hope you enjoy them!
Download Sprouts Today!
The Nimbus Garden programmers are among the best around. Our "Gardeners" hail from across the globe, and are veterans of industry leaders and academic powerhouses.
Do You Have a Green Thumb?
Apply today!
We chose to locate The Nimbus Garden Software Company in the Keweenaw Peninsula, on Lake Superior, because of the exceptional engineering and artistic community generated by Michigan Technological University, Finlandia University, and for the pristine natural beauty found throughout the region.
The earliest investors stand to benefit the most, and will be rewarded with a commanding stake in one of the most innovative new companies so far this century. If you or your organization is in a position to support our development and growth, please do not hesitate to contact our executive staff.
© 2011, Nimbus Garden Inc.